Braided Marbled Sourdough Rye Breaf

I was heading up to Baltimore so I decided to make a marbled sourdough rye bread for my friend Denise.



(I had to bring the bread in my carry on luggage, so I placed it on a cooling rack for stability, and use aluminum foil to package it. The man at the TSA scanner looked at me a bit funny - I quickly reassured him it was a bread. I asked him if this was the most unusual thing he had scanned today, and he said it was, but waved me through.)

Ingredients:

For light rye:

• 3 ounces (.75 cups) white rye flour
• 6.25 ounces (1.5 cups) unbleached bread flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1.5 teaspoons caraway seeds (could be optional)
• 5 ounces plus 1 tablespoons water,  room temperature
• 1/2 tablespoon molasses (or brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoons olive oil

For dark rye:

• 3 ounces (.75 cups) white rye flour
• 6.25 ounces (1.5 cups) unbleached bread flour
  (I replaced 1 ounce of flour with Pumpernickel Artisan Bread Flavor)
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (this is ONLY difference between recipes)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1.5 teaspoons caraway seeds (could be optional)
• 5 ounces plus 1 tablespoon water,  room temperature
• 1/2 tablespoon molasses (or brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

1. Mix each dough separately.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flours, salt, yeast, and caraway seeds.
   (For the dark rye, also mix in the cocoa powder when sifting the dry ingredients.)
3. Add the water, molasses, and olive oil.  
4. Using the dough hook, mix at low speed until a rough dough forms.  (2 on KitchenAid)
5. Scrape down the sides of bowl, turning the dough in the bowl if needed to help include all of the dry ingredients.  
6. When all the flour is worked into the dough, increase the speed to medium-low (4 or 5 on KitchenAid) and knead for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the dough forms a cohesive ball that clears the sides of the bowl and becomes firm and not too sticky.
7. Work the dough into a round ball, and place a lightly oiled bowl, smooth side up.  Cover with plastic wrap.
8. Repeat the mixing and rounding procedure with the dark rye, adding the dissolved cocoa and Pumpernickel flavor if using with the other dry ingredients.  
9. Place the dark rye in a second lightly oiled bowl, smooth side up. Cover with plastic wrap.
10. Let the dough balls rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
11.  Divide each dough into two even pieces.
12. Braid as desired on a piece of parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
    (I cut the dough into four pieces of the same weight. I made ~ 20” strands, and followed Tori Avey’s instructions for braiding.
    Basically, pinch the 4 strands together, and start with current right strand move it over / under / over the other 3 strands.
    Then start again with a new right strand. I started with the two dark strands next to the two light strands.)
13. Transfer the braid with the parchment paper to a baking sheet.
14. Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap.  
15. Let rise until nearly doubled in size, about 60 to 90 minutes.  
16. Check the dough after about 45 minutes.
17. Place a rack in the middle of the oven, then  preheat the oven to 350º F when the bread looks close to doubled.
18. Optional - Whisk an egg in a teaspoon of water, and brush on dough before baking.
19. Bake at 350º F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and baked through.  
20. An instant-read thermometer should register 190º F when fully cooked. 
21. Remove the bread to a cooling rack - allow cool thoroughly before slicing. (This will be at least 1 hour.)

Carole's Notes:

Denise, Kevin, and I liked this bread with our dinner.  It has a light rye flavor. It was also nice for breakfast toast - and it looked pretty!


This recipe is lightly adapted from Peter Reinhart's Bread Baker's Apprentice (a most excellent book!)

As it turns out, their dogs Raleigh and Buddy liked it too - they were bad dogs, and stole the leftovers off the counter.